Cognitive science applies diverse tools and perspectives to study human language.
Recently, an exciting body of work has examined linguistic phenomena through the lens of …

Innovation is often assumed to be the work of a talented few, whose products are passed on
to the masses. Here, we argue that innovations are instead an emergent property of our …

Humans are a puzzling species. On the one hand, we struggle to survive on our own in the
wild, often failing to overcome even basic challenges, like obtaining food, building shelters …

Memory is fleeting. New material rapidly obliterates previous material. How, then, can the
brain deal successfully with the continual deluge of linguistic input? We argue that, to deal …

Abstract Language exhibits striking systematic structure. Words are composed of
combinations of reusable sounds, and those words in turn are combined to form complex …

A novel cognitive theory of semantics that proposes that the meanings of words can be
described in terms of geometric structures. In The Geometry of Meaning, Peter Gärdenfors …

Assuming no prior grammatical knowledge, Understanding Syntax explains and illustrates
the major concepts, categories and terminology involved in the study of cross-linguistic …

Peter Trudgill looks at why human societies at different times and places produce different
kinds of language. He considers how far social factors influence language structure and …

Of all the things we do and say, most will never be repeated or reproduced. Once in a while,
however, an idea or a practice generates a chain of transmission that covers more distance …

Many recent proposals claim that languages adapt to their environments. The linguistic
niche hypothesis claims that languages with numerous native speakers and substantial …